Post by Commissioner Erick on Feb 12, 2022 13:27:13 GMT -5
Baltimore Orioles (63-55) @ New York Yankees (48-71)
BAL: Miguel Diaz (7-6, 3.87)
NYY: Luis Contreras (8-12, 4.77)
Orioles 5 Key Stats:
15: Wins in their last 20 Games. Baltimore really struggled in June, threatening to fall out of the playoff picture. They salvaged a split with the Nationals, took a series from Boston, then reeled off their 15 wins in 20 games to find themselves 2.5 back of the AL Wild Card. With their playoff pedigree, they’re playing good ball at the right time.
2.84: Baltimore’s relief ERA in July. The Orioles led the AL in bullpen ERA for July, and have a 3.51 mark for August, tied for fourth best. Their relievers have been much better of late. Curt Gemma has been a big catalyst for Baltimore’s success, with a 1.32 ERA and 6 Saves in 11 Games with Baltimore.
20: Strikeouts in the last 9 Games for Luis Ortega. The righty had an excellent year out of the pen as a 28-year-old rookie last year, and has been even better this year. He’s limited homers all year, and has really upped his strikeout rate. He has a 1.04 ERA in those nine games.
.568: Francisco DeJesus’ Slugging Percentage: DeJesus had a disappointing season last year with a .235 Average, 35 Home Runs, and 90 RBIs. He already has 33 long balls thus far, has matched his RBI total, and has a .287 Average. He’s back to being a Platinum Stick candidate and has made up for the loss of Joe DeCarlo.
.347: Wessel Russchen’s Average: Russchen has been another level of superstar and may end up with the most single-season WAR in AL history. He already has 7.5, and the only AL players to ever exceed that number in a season have the names Benintendi, Trout, and Devers, as well as Russchen’s own 7.9 WAR produced in 2024. His only competition for the MVP is Roderick Dalton in Detroit. Russchen is well set to expand on his numbers: In 14 Games against the Yankees, he has five home runs and a .492 Average.
Yankees 5 Key Stats:
1.0: Career WAR for Luis Contreras as a Starting Pitcher. Contreras put up 2.8 WAR in 2024, and 2.0 WAR in 2025, dominating out of the Cardinals bullpen. He struggled through a 4.88 ERA for the White Sox last year, and has a 4.77 mark this year. The experiment of making him a Starting Pitcher can conclusively be determined to be a failure.
101: Stolen Bases for the Yankees. New York leads the league in steals. They’ve fallen from their lofty heights as a slugging juggernaut, and are second-to-last in home runs, needing other ways to manufacture runs. Hyo-Jun Park hasn’t hit at all, but he’s provided value on the bases with 33 steals in 38 attempts. Corey D. Ray has also run wild with 18 steals in 20 attempts. Omar Baldo has thrown out a third of runners and Miguel Diaz has been good at holding runners, making this a fun subplot of todays game.
.604: Miguel Gomez’ OPS. Gomez was acquired for Gary Sanchez in 2024, and was fine for a few seasons, but not the impact slugger Sanchez was. This year, he’s really faded though, with eight homers and a .187 Average. Under contract for two more years for $12 million, the Yankees may want to explore a younger option going forward.
3-8: New York’s record in extra-inning games. If New York wants to upset Baltimore, they should aim to do it in 9 innings, especially with how Baltimore’s bullpen has performed.
21: Angelo Santiago’s age. Only 21, the Belize native has spent most of the season in the majors and has held his own with a .289 average and a .777 OPS. Santiago is clueless on the bases and still learning Center Field, but he has a ton of raw athleticism and a beautiful swing. The only players in the league in the PBA right now and younger than Santiago are Nelle Willemsen and Bobby Siegal. The hope is that Santiago can take a leap next year and begin the process of leading the next good Yankees team.
Questions for the GMs:
For Vic Black, why did you make the move to acquire Miguel Diaz?
You’re rolling with a four-man rotation right now. Why go with only four starters?
Why did your team struggle so much in June, and how have you turned it around?
For Terry Kift, Angelo Santiago was brought up early this season. What have you thought about his performance as a rookie?
Luis Contreras has really struggled in the rotation this year. Will he continue to stay in the rotation down the stretch?
You have a few free agents and arbitration players who may be non-tender candidates. Are there any players who you haven’t made your mind up on their status next year and are playing for a spot on the team next season?
TRIVIA: Who is the youngest MVP in AL history?
BAL: Miguel Diaz (7-6, 3.87)
NYY: Luis Contreras (8-12, 4.77)
Orioles 5 Key Stats:
15: Wins in their last 20 Games. Baltimore really struggled in June, threatening to fall out of the playoff picture. They salvaged a split with the Nationals, took a series from Boston, then reeled off their 15 wins in 20 games to find themselves 2.5 back of the AL Wild Card. With their playoff pedigree, they’re playing good ball at the right time.
2.84: Baltimore’s relief ERA in July. The Orioles led the AL in bullpen ERA for July, and have a 3.51 mark for August, tied for fourth best. Their relievers have been much better of late. Curt Gemma has been a big catalyst for Baltimore’s success, with a 1.32 ERA and 6 Saves in 11 Games with Baltimore.
20: Strikeouts in the last 9 Games for Luis Ortega. The righty had an excellent year out of the pen as a 28-year-old rookie last year, and has been even better this year. He’s limited homers all year, and has really upped his strikeout rate. He has a 1.04 ERA in those nine games.
.568: Francisco DeJesus’ Slugging Percentage: DeJesus had a disappointing season last year with a .235 Average, 35 Home Runs, and 90 RBIs. He already has 33 long balls thus far, has matched his RBI total, and has a .287 Average. He’s back to being a Platinum Stick candidate and has made up for the loss of Joe DeCarlo.
.347: Wessel Russchen’s Average: Russchen has been another level of superstar and may end up with the most single-season WAR in AL history. He already has 7.5, and the only AL players to ever exceed that number in a season have the names Benintendi, Trout, and Devers, as well as Russchen’s own 7.9 WAR produced in 2024. His only competition for the MVP is Roderick Dalton in Detroit. Russchen is well set to expand on his numbers: In 14 Games against the Yankees, he has five home runs and a .492 Average.
Yankees 5 Key Stats:
1.0: Career WAR for Luis Contreras as a Starting Pitcher. Contreras put up 2.8 WAR in 2024, and 2.0 WAR in 2025, dominating out of the Cardinals bullpen. He struggled through a 4.88 ERA for the White Sox last year, and has a 4.77 mark this year. The experiment of making him a Starting Pitcher can conclusively be determined to be a failure.
101: Stolen Bases for the Yankees. New York leads the league in steals. They’ve fallen from their lofty heights as a slugging juggernaut, and are second-to-last in home runs, needing other ways to manufacture runs. Hyo-Jun Park hasn’t hit at all, but he’s provided value on the bases with 33 steals in 38 attempts. Corey D. Ray has also run wild with 18 steals in 20 attempts. Omar Baldo has thrown out a third of runners and Miguel Diaz has been good at holding runners, making this a fun subplot of todays game.
.604: Miguel Gomez’ OPS. Gomez was acquired for Gary Sanchez in 2024, and was fine for a few seasons, but not the impact slugger Sanchez was. This year, he’s really faded though, with eight homers and a .187 Average. Under contract for two more years for $12 million, the Yankees may want to explore a younger option going forward.
3-8: New York’s record in extra-inning games. If New York wants to upset Baltimore, they should aim to do it in 9 innings, especially with how Baltimore’s bullpen has performed.
21: Angelo Santiago’s age. Only 21, the Belize native has spent most of the season in the majors and has held his own with a .289 average and a .777 OPS. Santiago is clueless on the bases and still learning Center Field, but he has a ton of raw athleticism and a beautiful swing. The only players in the league in the PBA right now and younger than Santiago are Nelle Willemsen and Bobby Siegal. The hope is that Santiago can take a leap next year and begin the process of leading the next good Yankees team.
Questions for the GMs:
For Vic Black, why did you make the move to acquire Miguel Diaz?
You’re rolling with a four-man rotation right now. Why go with only four starters?
Why did your team struggle so much in June, and how have you turned it around?
For Terry Kift, Angelo Santiago was brought up early this season. What have you thought about his performance as a rookie?
Luis Contreras has really struggled in the rotation this year. Will he continue to stay in the rotation down the stretch?
You have a few free agents and arbitration players who may be non-tender candidates. Are there any players who you haven’t made your mind up on their status next year and are playing for a spot on the team next season?
TRIVIA: Who is the youngest MVP in AL history?
